THE SCONCE AT GUNSITE RANCH, 16 January
2009

Comments from the countess:

When a friend recently asked me about NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTIONS I
was caught unprepared. So I pondered. Ordinarily Jeff and I would
think special resolves to be unnecessary and we would carry on as
usual. But this is no ordinary time! Dire predictions are emitted
by so-called pundits as a result of the November elections. They
are worrisome. "You and I are in for the fight of our lives!"
(Jerome R. Corsi, Ph.D., author of the best-seller book "The Obama
Nation: Leftist Politics and the Cult of Personality"); "Americans
anxiously await the full impact of a second Great Depression"
(Chuck Norris, Karate champ, film star, and author of "Black Belt
Patriotism: How to Reawaken America"); "The new era will see a more
sober and much diminished America" (Pat Buchanan); "America has
elected the most liberal President in our history. Congress is
firmly in control of the left. The bureaucracy ... will grow larger
and even more oppressive." (Pacific Legal Foundation); "America is
in peril" (The Heritage Foundation); "The death of the Republic,
the beginning of tyranny ..." (Alan Keyes); "... evil never sleeps.
Failing to learn from history's painful lessons will guarantee a
repeat of history's most tragic mistakes ..." (Ted Nugent).

Fortunately all of these alarmists are activists! They are doing
something about their fears, trying to awaken the American
citizenry from apathy and/or lethargy by writing books, founding
political action committees or representing well-established
foundations, and speaking out on media outlets-radio, TV and the
Internet. Many have constructive suggestions for us who are asking
for guidance. We suspect that the very foundations of our great
country are under attack. Our republic, with the highest standard
of living any nation has ever achieved, is in jeopardy and we don't
wish to stand by helplessly. Peter Berkowitz, a senior fellow at
the Hoover Institution, wrote an enlightening article which
appeared in the January 2 edition of the Wall Street Journal. It
spells out an agenda under which we could all rally. The author
addresses many troubling and confusing subjects and his
interpretations and recommendations are brilliant. Read the
article! (If you need a copy just let me know.) The title is
"Conservatives Can Unite Around the Constitution." Some years ago
Jeff wrote, "This country is not a President ... nor a political
party, nor a piece of ground ... but rather, this country is an
Idea ... and that Idea is embodied by the Constitution." As liberal
solutions come to light as ineffective and unrealistic, our
Constitution should be our guide. I admire any congressman who
carries a copy of the Constitution in his pocket-and there are a
few. Mr Berkowitz so wisely states in his priceless article, " ...
conservatives of all stripes would be well advised to concentrate
attention on the constitutional order and the principles that
undergird it, because maintaining them should be their paramount
political priority."

NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTIONS: I will be more active
politically. I will let my elected officials know my thoughts. I
will do my homework by reading and listening. I will not hold
myself aloof from the brawl. I will donate to outstanding private
organizations like The Heritage Foundation and lobby groups on the
front lines which work tirelessly to counter the damage done by
greed and ignorance on the part of Washington and (never thought
I'd see the day) Wall Street. Rush Limbaugh says that we must
assert ourselves into the popular culture. I will treasure and
utilize my rights, still intact to this point, so that our
Constitution can remain alive and functioning to everyone's
benefit.

WORDS OF ENCOURAGEMENT: "(The) Heritage (Foundation) is
making sure our Congress and our new president understand that just
because they won the election doesn't mean that conservatives have
disappeared. We achieved conservative goals during the Carter and
Clinton administrations, and we intend to do so this time, too."
"There is one battleground where you and I can take on the left and
win major victories for freedom and liberty that will endure for
generations. That battleground is in the courts! ... right now on
the Supreme Court a slim majority exists that is sympathetic to
protecting our rights. This gives us a window of opportunity to set
long-lasting legal precedents." (Robin L. Rivett, President,
Pacific Legal Foundation.) And here is Ted Nugent's advice for
young people from his book, "Ted, White and Blue." "Life is going
to knock you down over and over again. The only person who is ever
defeated is the person who gets floored with one of life's massive
sucker punches and does not get back up. Be tough and tenacious. It
feels good." And more from Nugent on health care: "Americans have
become so dependent on Fedzilla (his takeoff on Godzilla, meaning,
of course, the federal government) to provide all kinds of
assistance that we have forgotten that the volunteer spirit at the
community level helped shape and build this country." Nugent on big
government: "Should we make the mistake of putting the Democratic
Party back in power in the fall of 2008, they will tax us more but
give us much less... . Big government fails at everything and it
will continue to fail. It is designed to be unaccountable. It is
the model of inefficiency. It is more about control, not more about
freedom. Less government is real progressive reform." Read "Ted,
White and Blue"-it's a hoot, and it will light a few fires, I
guarantee.

GLOBAL WARMING: Do you understand the technical issues in
the "Human-caused Global Warming" dispute? There's a book out which
you should read to educate yourself, and I recommend it because it
is written by a highly qualified scientist (botany and chemistry)
in layman's terms and it is illuminating. The author, Donald Van
Dusen, explains why "manmade" global warming is a giant hoax. There
is a nifty chart and a useful glossary. Much knowledge and time and
thought have gone into the text which is repetitious at times but
for a purpose-to prove important points. This is a much-needed
book, particularly since president-elect Obama seems to stand ready
to support climate change regulations which could negatively impact
all our lives-and needlessly so. Mr. Van Dusen has kindly offered
his book, "CARBON is the Solution Not the Problem" FREE to readers
of this letter if your request comes with a S.A.S.E. 8x11 or larger
with $2.50 (6-42Â¢) in stamps. The book retails for $49.95, but Mr.
Van Dusen is a true patriot and believes in the importance of
getting out the truth. So contact Donald Van Dusen, P.O. Box 1281,
Boca Raton, FL 33429. Take advantage of this offer, for it's a good
idea!

THE NRA ANNUAL MEETING is coming up in May and it
promises to be a sensational occasion! It appears the National
Rifle Association is preparing to make a Big Statement and you
won't want to miss being a part of the festivities. Rush Limbaugh
is the banquet speaker, and Gov. Sarah Palin, Ollie North, Chuck
Norris, Glenn Beck, and Laura Ingraham are some of the invited
speakers at the Celebration of American Values Leadership Forum on
Friday night! The city is Phoenix and the dates are 15-17 May 2009.
I know all you readers are good NRA members so when you get the
details in the mail later on, be sure and sign up early. I have a
feeling this fabulous event will be very popular as a rallying
point for supporters of our embattled Second Amendment. SEE YOU
THERE!